Roast ground coffee with defatted spent coffee grounds

Abstract

Lipids are removed from spent coffee grounds using certain lipophilic solvents or series of solvents. The resulting defatted spent coffee grounds contain less than about 2% lipids. The defatted spent coffee grounds act as an adsorbent for bitter coffee flavors and burnt coffee aromas. This adsorbent can be added to roast ground coffee, preferably low quality or dark roasted coffee, to reduce burnt aromas and bitter flavors associated with the corresponding brewed coffee or coffee extract.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A process for making defatted spent coffee grounds that can be used as selective adsorbents in reducing burnt coffee aromas and bitter coffee flavors in brewed coffee when combined with roast ground coffee beans, which process comprises the steps of: (a) obtaining spent coffee grounds having a soluble coffee solids content of less than about 1% by weight;   (b) contacting the spent coffee grounds with a single phase lipophilic solvent or series of single phase solvents, to produce defatted spent coffee grounds containing not more than about 2% lipids, said solvent or series of solvents being selected from the group consisting of ethanol, miscible mixtures of ethanol and water, miscible mixtures of chloroform, methanol and water, ethanol followed by ethyl acetate followed by water, and miscible mixtures of ethanol and water followed by miscible mixtures of ethyl acetate and water followed by water; then   (c) separating the grounds of step (b) from the solvent; and   (d) removing residual solvent from the separated grounds.   
     
     
       2. The process of claim 1 wherein the defatted spent coffee grounds produced by the process contain not more than about 0.5% lipids. 
     
     
       3. The process of claim 1 wherein a series of single phase solvents is used in step (b), which series is selected from the group consisting of ethanol followed by ethyl acetate followed by water, and miscible mixtures of ethanol and water followed by miscible mixtures of ethyl acetate and water followed by water. 
     
     
       4. A process for making a roasted coffee product which produces brewed coffee having a reduced burnt aroma and a reduced bitter flavor, which process comprises the steps of: (a) obtaining spent coffee grounds having a soluble coffee solids content of less than 1% by weight;   (b) contacting the spent coffee grounds with a single phase lipophilic solvent or series of single phase solvents, to produce defatted spent coffee grounds containing not more than 2% ipids, said solvent or series of solvents being selected from the group consisting of ethanol, miscible mixtures of ethanol and water, miscible mixtures of chloroform, methanol and water, ethanol followed by ethyl acetate followed by water, and miscible mixtures of ethanol and water followed by miscible mixtures of ethyl acetate and water followed by water; then separating the grounds of step (b) from the solvent;   (c) separating the grounds of step (b) from the solvent;   (d) removing residual solvent from the separated grounds; and then   (e) admixing the separated defatted spent coffee grounds of step (d) and roast ground coffee beans in a weight ratio of the roast ground coffee beans to the defatted spent coffee grounds of from about 5:1 to about 40:1.   
     
     
       5. The process of claim 4 wherein the defatted spent coffee grounds produced in step 16(b) contain not more than about 0.5% lipids. 
     
     
       6. The process of claim 5 wherein a series of single phase solvents is used in step 16(b), which series is selected from the group consisting of ethanol followed by ethyl acetate followed by water, and miscible mixture of ethanol and water followed by miscible mixtures of acetate and water followed by water. 
     
     
       7. The process of claim 6 wherein the weight of roast ground coffee beans to defatted spent coffee grounds in step 16(e) is from about 10:1 to about 20:1. 
     
     
       8. The process of claim 7 wherein the roast ground coffee beans comprise roast ground robusta coffee beans.